Improve Your Listening and Speaking Skills in English
Students are always looking for a way to improve their speaking and listening skills.
Improve Listening and Speaking in English by Really Listening to Your Partner
One way is utilizing the skills you already have in your own language. For example, when someone is speaking, we try to REALLY listen rather than thinking of what we will say next. This practice is also very important when you are listening in English as a non-native speaker.
The art of being a good conversationalist is increasingly difficult to master. What do you think makes a good conversationalist?
Improve Listening and Speaking in English by Asking Questions
We always try and stress the importance of asking questions to our students. It shows you’re interested and keeps you engaged. Even better, asking questions lets you check to see if you have understood correctly!
Let’s say someone has just spoken about a topic. You didn’t quite catch everything they said. Instead of saying:
“I don’t understand.”
You could ask a question:
“Are you saying…..?”
“Could you tell me a bit more about that? I’m not sure I caught your meaning.”
This way, you can show you were paying attention and are interested. And, you are completely putting the emphasis on your level of English!
The video below gives 10 tips on how to improve your ability as a conversationalist. How many can you catch? Do you already do these in your own language? Let us know in the comments!
Tips
- Always try to catch at least a couple of words. Then use your imagination to guess what the subject matter is.
Let’s say all you heard was “nervous” and “teeth”. You could then say:
“I didn’t quite catch that. Are you telling me you have a dentist appointment?”
The person may say “Yes exactly.” or “No, not me, my daughter.” But the important thing is that the conversation has progressed, which is made a bit more awkward if you simply say “I don’t understand.”
Your Task
In the comments below, answer the question.
After listening to the video, what do you think? Are you a good conversationalist? What are your strengths and weaknesses?
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At Melton Language Services, we provide professional English training to ministries and companies that need fast results with specific needs. Our dynamic methodology gives companies the tools they need to ensure their employees have the professional skills they need to be effective. Individual or group, private or public sector. We provide the service you need and deserve.
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